Born To Die

Luke ignores me but Apollo pesters

A few nights later, I couldn't stand it anymore. The anxiety gnawed at me like an unrelenting storm, and I knew I had to see Luke. I had to make him understand. There was no way I could stay behind, not when everything was falling apart, not when he was going off into the unknown again. I felt so helpless, sitting around camp, pretending to be okay when every part of me wanted to be with him, fighting by his side.

I waited until the moon was high in the sky, the rest of camp asleep or lost in their own lives. Then I slipped out, moving silently toward the woods, the place where we'd often met. When I found him, he was sitting on a fallen log, staring into the distance, his features cast in shadows. The sight of him made my heart ache, but there was no time to waste. I had to make him listen.

"Luke," I said, stepping into his view, my voice slightly shaky but resolute.

He turned at the sound of my voice, his expression softening for a moment before hardening again. "Isla, you shouldn't be out here. It's dangerous."

I ignored his warning, stepping closer. "I don't care about danger," I said, the words coming out more desperate than I intended. "I care about you. You're leaving again, and I can't stay here, waiting for you. Not this time."

Luke sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. "Isla, I told you already. It's too dangerous. You don't understand what I'm walking into this time."

"I do understand!" My voice cracked, but I held my ground, refusing to let the tears fall. "I understand more than you think. I'm not just some fragile girl who needs protecting. I'm not going to sit here and pretend everything's fine when you're out there, facing gods know what, all alone. Please, let me come with you."

He looked at me, pain flashing in his eyes. "It's not about you being fragile, Isla. It's about you being in danger. This isn't like before. Things have changed. You don't know what's waiting for me—or for us."

"I don't care what's waiting for us!" I burst out, unable to control the frustration in my voice. "I can't stay behind again, Luke. I can't watch you go off like this and pretend everything's fine. You need me with you. We're in this together, aren't we?"

He stood up, shaking his head as if I were being foolish. "This isn't about us being together, Isla. This is about survival. You're not ready for what's out there. You don't need to see it. Please, just trust me."

His words hit me like a slap in the face. I felt a rush of emotions—betrayal, fear, frustration—all mixed up into a knot in my stomach. How could he think that I couldn't handle it? How could he think that I wasn't strong enough?

"I am ready, Luke!" I shouted, taking a step forward. "I've been through everything with you. I've seen what you've gone through. And I will stand by you. Don't you understand? I'm not asking for permission. I'm asking to be with you, to fight with you. I won't let you do this alone."

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something—maybe regret, maybe guilt—pass through his eyes. "Isla, please," he said, his voice low, filled with a kind of raw desperation. "I can't lose you. Not like this. You mean too much to me."

"Then let me come with you," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please. I can't stay here without you. I need to be with you. Don't shut me out."

There was a long silence between us, thick with tension. I stood there, waiting for him to make the choice—to see that I wasn't some helpless girl who needed saving. I was his partner. His equal. And I would fight by his side, no matter what it took.

Finally, he stepped back, his expression a mixture of pain and resolve. "I can't let you come, Isla. It's not because I don't want you there—it's because I love you too much to risk losing you."